Dear jobelorocks,
Cordial greetings and a very good day. Thankyou for the above response.
Fair comment. Indeed, it is incumbent upon men also to don modest attire and to be considerate in their dress and behaviour, so as not cause temptation to the opposite sex. Thus they are certainly held to the virtue of modesty, equally with women; witness the admonition of Canadian bishops in May 1946: “Man himself does not escape from the inclination of exhibiting his flesh: some go in public, stripped to the waist, or in very tight pants or in very scanty bathing suits. They thus commit offenses against the virtue of modesty. They may also be an occasion of sin (in thought or desire) for our neighbour”.
The way both men and women dress has an effect for good or ill, which is why the issue of modesty is so vitally important, especially in our Western culture with its obsession with voluptuous fashions and sex. We are all born with a fallen nature disposed to sin and, consequently, we must ensure that our bodies are kept well covered in order to avoid the dangers of concupiscence. This fact, a result of Original Sin, is deliberately ignored when we arrogantly flout the Church’s teaching on modesty by donning seductive and inappropriate apparel.
There are other more seemly and attractive garments (my wife wears them, so I should know), apart from shorts, that also allow the body to breathe during the hot weather season. Shorts are indecent attire, irrespective of hot weather considerations, because they expose far too much of a woman’s legs to the gaze of men and thus invite them to focus upon their body parts, rather than engage with their personalities. Moreover, by so dressing women are likely to be the occasion of sin, which is a very grave a matter indeed.
Modern women who have been desensitized by the immoral climate of the West, may well deny that the wearing of shorts, bikinis or mini-skirts presents any real temptation to the male sex. They may even try to conceal their own guilt by such uncharitable statements as, “He must be a pervert ensalved by lust” or “scanty attire in men does not affect me at all, so why should the sight of scantily clad women affect men?”. However, the fact is that when a woman is dressed immodestly, she becomes a temptress for men. Let is recall our Lord’s words to men who fall prey to such allurements: “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (St. Matt. 5: 28). Indirectly at least, immodest women are included in this indictment, being cooperators in the sins of men. God has made women beautiful and attractive to men so as to fit with His plan for procreation in holy and lawful wedlock. Alas, as a result of his fallen estate, man must continually struggle to regulate this attraction by keeping his base instincts in subjection. Now unless both men and women fortify themselves by prayer and take positive steps to minimise the strength of evil desire, sin will quickly enter into their immortal souls and defile them. Thus they owe it to each other as brethren in Christ to be ‘cooperators’ in avoiding sin - perhaps the best reason of all for giving immodest attire a very wide-berth.
Warmest good wishes,
Portrait
Pax
I think she is beautiful.